JSS 2 Second Term

Lesson objectives

By the end of the week, learners should be able to:

1. Define programming and explain why software is built from instructions.
2. List five reasons schools teach programming at junior secondary level.
3. Compare procedural and object-oriented programming on the same criteria.
4. Name three programming concepts: variables, loops and selection.
5. State two real-world benefits of knowing how programs work.

Key vocabulary

• Programming: writing instructions in a language that a computer executes.
• Procedural programming: software built from sequential steps.
• Object-oriented programming: software built from interacting objects.
• Variable: a named container holding a changing value.
• Loop: a repeatable block of instructions.
• Selection: a branch such as an if statement that runs different paths.
• Instruction: a unit of code telling the computer what to do next.

Common misconceptions

• "Programming is only for geniuses." Programming is a skill improved through practice like any craft.
• "Procedural and object-oriented are equally good." Procedural fits simple tasks; object-oriented scales to complex teams.
• "A computer does everything on its own." Computers execute exactly what the programmer writes.

Teacher activities

1. Starter: ask why a teacher writes an instruction list before setting a laboratory task.
2. Define programming and list five school-relevant reasons for teaching it.
3. Present procedural and object-oriented programming and compare them on criteria such as task size and team scaling.
4. Introduce the three programming concepts with real examples in each.
5. Show two short programs, one procedural and one object-oriented, and compare how they read.
6. Close with the exit question comparing the two approaches.

Student activities

1. Answer the starter and explain why writing instructions precedes setting tasks.
2. List five reasons schools teach programming from their own experience.
3. Fill the comparison table for procedural and object-oriented programming.
4. Name the three programming concepts and give one example each.
5. Compare the two sample programs and note the structural difference.
6. Answer the exit question in one sentence about choosing an approach.

Practical / learning evidence

A five-reason programming worksheet, a procedural versus object-oriented comparison table and a three-concept mapping chart. Submit all three for marking.

Resources and preparation

Printed worksheet and blank comparison table. Offline route: paper worksheets, no device needed. Display short programs carefully and do not let learners modify the demo until instructed.

Assessment for learning

Inspect the five-reason worksheet for school relevance. Check the comparison table for at least two criteria. Mark the concept mapping for correct examples. Flag any learner who confuses variables with constants.

Inclusion and homework

Provide the five-reason worksheet partially completed for learners who need scaffolding. Allow oral completion of the comparison table. Extend confident learners with four approaches and a contrast question. Homework: explain in one sentence why a simple procedural program suits a small task.